THE PROPOSED RIVER CUTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3883, 13 December 1928, Page 4

THE PROPOSED RIVER CUTS.

ENGINEER’S REPORT ON MODIFIED SCHEME. At Monday night’s Borough Council meeting the report of the engineer to the ManawaturOroua River Board (Mr. F. C. Hay) on a scheme of river cuts to overcome the flooding menace in the Manawatu was read. The report provided for a modified comprehensive scheme of flood control for the Manawatu and Oroua Rivers with the object of enabling the Board to consider the advisability of doing the work in stages. A plan was also submitted showing the location of the eighteen different jobs covered in the report. The particulars of the various , jobs are briefly as follows: — LOWER MANAWATU.

1. —Rush Flat Navigable Channel. This channel is 50ft. wide by 12ft. deep and 57 chains long. 100,000 c. yards to be excavated by dipper or suction dredge. Cost £5,000. Purpose: To give better shipping route to Foxton. 2. Man.-Kuk. Cut. This cut is 56 chains long, 40ft. wide by 35ft. deep. Excavation 450,000 c. yards to be done by suction dredge or land excavators. Cost £20,000. This cut joins the Manawatu River on the west opposite Rush Flat, cutting off 3 miles 60 chains of river. Purpose; ’To take flood waters from the Moutoa quickly.

3. Main (Cut. This cut runs from the Manawatu near Poplar Mill through the Moutoa and joins the Manawatu again at 1% miles above the Foxton wharf. It is 6 miles 41 chains long and cuts off 22 miles 20 chains of river. The work provides for stop banks, two low level bridges, 11 flood gates, fencing, etc. Total cost £130,000. 4. —The,, Opui Spillway. This work provides for a flood spillway from Opui bend to the Manawatu River just above Poplar Mill. It is 50 chains long and cuts off 3 miles 60 chains of river. Not proposed to be done until' the Main Cut is finished. Cost £15,000. Of chief benefit to Makerua and to a less degree to Kairanga and Oroua subdivisions.

5. —Tributary Channel. This channel is for the purpose of taking the drainage from and Koputaroa subdivisions and the waters from the Tokomaru, Mangaore and Koputaroa rivers. To relieve tjie flow ih the main river below Paiaka and to act as a scouring agent for the main cut. Cost £15,000. 6. —Stopbanking mouth of Main Cut to Foxton. 70 chains taking 14,000 c. yards. Cost £9OO. 7. —'Stopbanking Manawatu from mouth of cut to Connolly’s Camp. For protection of Moutoa from small floods. 10J miles 41,000 c. yards. Cost £3,000. 8. —Deepening l Koputaroa Stream and stopbanking. Cost £3,000. 9. —Cutting off bend in Manawatu opposite Koputaroa River. Length of cut 8 chains. Total cost £llOO. Of benefit to Koputaroa and also of some interest to Makerua.

10. Cutting off double bend in Manawatu near Moutoa Hall. Length 30 chains, and erecting 17 chains stopbank. Yardage 20,000. Total cost £3,000. The above jobs comprise the work to be undertaken, in the lower Manawatu. The total cost in this area is £196,000. UPPER MANAWATU. 11. Paki’s Point Cut. This work consists of cutting a channel across the narrow neck of land at Paki’s Point. 15 chains. Cost £3,200. 12. Page’s Point. Cutting across the narrow neck of land at Page’s Point above Miss Edward’s farm. 3 chains. Cost £I6OO. 13. —Tiakatahuna Stop Bank. Construction of stopbank 3ft. high around bight in ‘river. 4,000 c. yards. Cost £3OO. The above three jobs are of direct benefit to Kairanga and their total cost is £5,100. THE OROUA RIVER. 14. —Rangiotu Cut. This cut is for the purpose of diverting the Oroua from the bend below the Rangiotu Bridge into the Manawatu below Russell’s . house, 16 chains below the outlet of Bourke’s drain. 30 chains long and cuts off 2 miles 16 chains of the Oroua. (Cost £4,200. Benefiting Oroua and Kairanga. 15. —Straightening Oroua. The course of the Oroua which is very tortuous above Mangawhata and this job provides for the straightening of the river at this locality and reducing its length from 1 mile to 40 chains. Length of cut 36 chains. Cost £750. Benefiting Kairanga and Oroua. 16. —‘Stopbanking and Snagging Oroua. Alternative to job 14. Stopbanking Manawatu on left side from Rangiotu to junction with Manawatu. 20,000 c. yards earthworks. Cost £I2OO. Benefit lower Kairanga.

17. —Stopbanking Oroua, Rangiotu to Mangawhata. Earthworks 60,000 c. yards. iCost £3,000. Benefiting Oroua and Kairanga. 18. —Floodgate and Main Drain. Construction of flood gate at mouth of Main Drain. Cost £I2OO. Benefiting Oroua. The last four jobs are considered as alternatives. Total £9150 if No. 14 is undertaken or £6150 if No. 16 is done instead of No. 14. Summary: Omitting jobs 1 and 16 the total cost is £205,250, made up as follows: —Land £66925, earthworks £121970, bridges £2900, floodgates and drainage £BBOO, fencing £2575, planting protective belts £2OBO, _. j

The total area of land to be bought is 1759 acres and the total yardage in stopbanks and cuts is 2410400.

In forwarding the above report the Manawatu-Oroua River Board asked the Council to send a representative to a conference to be held in Palmerston North on 24th January, 1929, t 6 discuss the matter of sending a deputation to the new Government of representatives from the whole of the local bodies urging the Government to subsidise the Board’s flood control as per the schedule as being the best and least expensive scheme, calculated to give protection to the whole of the district. Councillors were unanimous in their disapproval of the scheme and the matter was held over for a full ■(discussion at next meeting.